Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Transport
ARRIVING IN BARCELONA
Most travellers enter Barcelona through El Prat airport. Some budget airlines use Girona-
Costa Brava airport or Reus airport.
Flights from North America take about eight hours from the east coast (10 to 13 hours typ-
ically, with a stopover); from the west coast count on 13 or more hours including a stopover.
Flights from London take around two hours; from Western Europe it's about two to three
hours.
Travelling by train is a pricier but perhaps more romantic way of reaching Catalonia from
other European cities. The new TGV takes around around seven hours from Paris to Bar-
celona. Long-distance trains arrive in Estació Sants, about 2.5km west of La Rambla.
Long-haul buses arrive in Estació del Nord.
Flights, tours and rail tickets can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com.
El Prat Airport
Catalunya at El Prat de Llobregat. The airport has two main terminal buildings: the new T1
terminal and the older T2, itself divided into three terminal areas (A, B and C).
In T1, the main arrivals area is on the 1st floor (with separate areas for EU Schengen Area
arrivals, non-EU international arrivals and the Barcelona-Madrid corridor). Boarding gates
for departures are on the 1st and 3rd floors.
The main
tourist office
( 8.30am-8.30pm) is on the ground floor of Terminal 2B. Others
on the ground floor of Terminal 2A and in Terminal 1 operate the same hours. Lockers
(which come in three sizes) can be found on the 1st floor of Terminal 1. Lost-luggage of-
fices can be found by the arrivals belts in Terminal 1 and on the arrivals floor in Terminals
2A and 2B.
Bus
€5.90/10.20) runs from Terminal 1 to Plaça de Catalunya (30 to 40 minutes depending on
traffic) via Plaça d'Espanya, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (corner of Carrer del Comte
d'Urgell) and Plaça de la Universitat every five to 10 minutes from 6.10am to 1.05am. De-
